Emptyland: Mar/Apr 2017

For March and April, I barely finished any makeup products… But I did use up a lot of skincare! I also reached my goal of remembering to use sheet masks more often. ^_^ I’m trying to use sheet masks at least once a week!

Here’s the rundown for what the stars represent: [ ☆ = Most negative/Not good at all, ☆☆ = Not that good, but okay ☆☆☆ = Neutral/No opinion/No answer, ☆☆☆☆ = Great, ☆☆☆☆☆ = Most positive/Fantastic! ] I’ll also include my experience with each product, but the detail I go into for each product may vary.

Skincare

DSCN4742.JPG

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch – 24 patches

Return of this item… x2! I used up one during each month. You can read my initial response to this product in my first Emptyland post. I still love this product, and will definitely repurchase it.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes!

Skinfood Trouble Clear Spot Patch – 24 patches

This is very similar to the COSRX patches. I bought this to try to see if it’s any better or any worse, and to be completely honest, I couldn’t really tell the difference. The texture is somehow a bit different, but the effect is the same. It was priced at $5.99 plus tax at a local cosmetics store, and also comes with 24 patches just like the COSRX one. The COSRX ones were cheaper though, since I bought them in a big set. I might repurchase the Skinfood ones if there’s a sale.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe!

Kosé Softymo White Face Cleansing Oil  – 230 mL

I really love this cleansing oil! It feels gentle and has a mild scent. It also lasted me a long time (I’ve been using this cleaning oil since my time in college… it has been well over a year!). The consistency is slightly runny. I’m currently using a different cleansing oil now that this one is done, and I’m probably going to return to this one. I can already tell that the new one I’m trying is going to last a shorter length of time than the Softymo one, so you’ll see it show up in an Emptyland post soon enough.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes!

Lancôme Bienfait Multi-Vital SPF 30 Day Cream – 50 g

I’m still using the night cream from this series, but I’m almost done with it. I am not quite sure how I finished the day cream earlier, but in any case, the jar is completely empty. This is a great cream for winter; very moisturizing! It has a pleasant scent, and the cream absorbs quickly into the skin. The consistency feels the same as the night cream. My mom gave me the set of this day cream and night cream, and I might repurchase them. I want to try other creams though!

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

Bifesta Brightup Cleansing Sheet – 46 sheets

These cleansing sheets worked really well and felt refreshing on my face! My skin didn’t feel dry afterwards either. I would definitely repurchase this. I’m curious to try other products by Bifesta; this is my first Bifesta purchase.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes!

Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel – 30 mL

This is something that used to work for me, but for some reason, it hasn’t helped my acne at all during the past few months. I might try it again in the future, but for now, I’m testing other acne products to see if I can find one that will clear up my acne. It’s $26 for the bottle, and it did last a long time, but it feels expensive since I didn’t find it effective. I’m giving it 3 stars since it used to work for me before, and perhaps it will work again in the future.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

Tonymoly Timeless Ferment Snail Eye Cream 

Technically, this is a sample size I think. It came as a set with the full-size face cream, which you can see in my first Emptyland post. I wasn’t a big fan of this eye cream. I did finish it, and it’s my first eye cream, but I thought the gel texture felt more watery than gel-like, and it didn’t absorb very well.

Overall Rating: ☆☆ // Repurchase? No

DSCN4745.JPG

Tonymoly I’m Real Mask Sheets 

I’m just going to lump these all together because, to be perfectly honest, I couldn’t really tell much of a difference among them. They’re all great though! These might be my favorite masks because they’re the most comfortable on my face and the holes fit better than other sheet masks I’ve tried. The different masks in this series have different scents, and some of the essence in the mask has a slightly different consistency, but overall, they were all generous in the amount of essence and felt good during and after application. I did notice that the Tea Tree one soothed the redness in my acne, which was a great effect!

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes

DSCN4747.JPG

The SAEM Natural-Tox Tomato Mask Sheet

This was a nice mask! I have a few others I purchased from The SAEM that I’m excited to try too. The mask didn’t stay on my face very well, but that’s not a huge deal. I shouldn’t be walking around while masking anyways (but I have a terrible habit of multitasking, even when I should be taking a breather). I would definitely buy more masks from this brand to try!

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

Mediheal Teatree Healing Solution Essential Mask

My friend Simone gave me these two masks! I tried them both during the same week. This mask was really nice quality, and the mask fit my face pretty well too. This mask definitely lessened the redness of my pimples, and it was a soothing mask to use.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

DSCN4751.JPG

EOS Sweet Mint Lip Balm

My mom gave me this to try since she knew I was really curious about the EOS trend since they popped up. My mom tried one too, and we both agree that they weren’t as great as we were expecting. I didn’t notice any exceptional moisturizing qualities; in fact, it felt less moisturizing than regular Chapstick to my lips. I had to reapply it often. It took me a long time to use it up, since I was using other options like Aquaphor or Blistex lip balms for more moisture. The shape is fun, but not very practical.

Overall Rating: ☆☆ // Repurchase? No

Blistex Five Star Lip Protection

This is my go-to lip balm! I’ve been using it since my mom gave me my first one during my first year of college. Before college, my mom and I always just used Chapstick. This lip balm has great SPF and moisturizes my lips well. I wouldn’t say it’s the most moisturizing thing ever, but it does the trick.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes

Blistex Complete Moisture

I thought this would be similar to the Five Star one, but this one definitely has less stars. For some reason, this lip balm irritated my lips. I’m not sure why, but it caused some peeling. I wonder if I had a defective tube though, since it seems like this is a good lip balm according to other people’s reviews.

Overall Rating: ☆ // Repurchase? No

Makeup

DSCN4753.JPG

 

Make Up For Ever HD Pressed Powder – 6.2 g

This was my first Make Up For Ever product! It lasted me a really long time. I suppose I probably should have tossed this a while ago… I’ve been using it for about 4 years now. It is a transparent powder that helps my makeup stay longer. It also makes me look less dewy (in terms of the Korean BB creams I use). Application is a bit difficult though, since I tend to get the powder all over my shirt too since the powder flies off the puff easily.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

Clinique Acne Solutions Concealing Stick

This was a great idea in theory, but the tip of the stick was much too small for spot coverage. At least for me, my acne is usually bigger than the size of this stick’s tip, so I had to rub the stick around a lot more to cover the acne and pimples. It didn’t blend very well, so I used my fingers to blend them in more… and then it felt like the stick wasn’t even necessary in the first place. The product concealed well, but application was more difficult than I would have liked. It may have been better in a bigger stick form.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Repurchase? No

Body Care

DSCN4749.JPG

 

The Body Shop Moringa Body Butter – 200 mL

This is such a nice scent! It was great trying my second The Body Shop item. Same body butter, but different scent. I prefer the scent of the first one I tried, Atlas Mountain Rose. This one was just as moisturizing, and I still love the scent. I would still repurchase this! (I just really love anything rose-scented…)

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Yes

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Relief Body Wash & Foam Bath – 295 mL

I’ve had this for way too long… I usually use Dove bar soaps (which I suppose will never make it to an Emptyland post since there’s nothing left at all once they’re used up). I don’t have a bath tub now, and I didn’t have a bath tub at college either. So I have never tried bath bombs or bubble baths, etc. I use this like a body wash either on a loofah, or if I’m lazy, I just use my hands. The scent is very relaxing! I’m not sure if they still have this same product since I bought this back in high school… (I know, over five years ago.)

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Repurchase? Maybe

Sample / Travel Size

DSCN4754.JPG

 

Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate

I didn’t use this consistently, which was probably a mistake on my part. It felt really nice on my skin and absorbed quickly. I didn’t notice any negative reactions to it, but I also didn’t see any changes. I doubt I’d ever purchase a full size of this, but it was a nice sample.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Purchase? No

Chanel Chance

In general, I don’t think I’d ever purchase a full-size perfume since I get so many samples. I can only see myself purchasing a perfume if I fall in love with the scent. This is a nice scent, but it’s not something I’m in love with. It’s a sophisticated and elegant scent that I enjoy using, but I don’t think I would pay money for it. I used it up, of course, and I have a few more of these samples in my stash that I look forward to using as well!

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Purchase? No

Chanel No. 5

I’m not a huge fan of this scent, but I’m also not that picky since I used it up. I think the scent is overpowering. I don’t like wasting anything though; the only reason I’d stop using a product is if it caused a negative reaction (or if I highly disliked it).

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆ // Purchase? No

Clinique All About Eyes Serum

This was an interesting product! At first, I wasn’t sure if I was applying it correctly. I like the rollerball tip, but toward the end of its life, I had trouble getting product out. I had to squeeze the tube really hard, and then sometimes, a huge amount of product would spurt out. I wonder if the full-size tube dispenses the product more efficiently. It didn’t sting or irritate my eyes at all, which is a plus. I find that Clinique products never irritate my skin.

Overall Rating: ☆☆☆☆ // Purchase? Maybe

Have you tried any of these products? I’d love to hear your opinions too! Hope you all have a great rest-of-your-week!

signature
Connect

❥❧ Facebook: Cosplay and Fashion

❥❧ Instagram: PearlPeony and AliceinLolitaland

❥❧ Tumblr: Personal and Fashion

❥❧ Twitter: TreizeMacarons

❥❧ Youtube: Alice in Lolitaland

❥❧ WorldCosplay: Xiao

❀ For sponsor inquiries, please contact me at: missxiaorawr@gmail.com ❀

B.A.P: PARTY BABY 

img_8547

I went to my second K-Pop concert recently! My first one was Friday night of KCON 2016. The concert I went to recently was none other than B.A.P’s PARTY BABY: NYC Boom~! It was an amazing event, although I spent the bulk of my time waiting in line. I didn’t realize it was a standing venue until I was already en route to the concert… (I should have worn my regular sneakers instead of my wedge sneakers… Oh well.) Here are mirror selfies of my outfit:

Fun fact: The cat ear headband and wedge sneakers were the same ones I wore to my first concert.

For this B.A.P world tour, there were dress code options set by each of the members.

Screen Shot 2017-04-26 at 10.42.10 PM.png

It ended up being Himchan’s night~! For my outfit, I was trying to fit the ROSE theme as well as the SEXY & SPECIAL one.

They had a “bar” set up, and it was really cute. Himchan took his time selecting the winner, and the other members kept urging him to hurry up! The SEXY & SPECIAL girl Himchan picked was someone with really pretty pink hair (and a cool handbag!). The girl got to go on the stage and hang out with the members a bit at the “BABYz LOUNGE,” pictured above.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I met so many cool people in the line outside the concert! I even snagged a $1 light stick that a fan was selling. She made a ton of light sticks out of foam, and they were really light and easy to carry, and they also lit up green! There were also tons of freebies being passed around: fan signs, cards, and more.

It was amazing seeing all the Matoki light sticks in the crowd! Look at all the green bunnies~!

Unfortunately, all my photos are really blurry since I was really far away; I bought the cheapest ticket. I used my phone camera on maximum zoom to capture most of these. The only song I captured on video in its entirety was Wake Me Up since my arms were too tired to hold up my phone above other people’s heads for other songs (although I did catch snippets).
Watch my fancam of B.A.P’s Wake Me Up performance!

You can also check out my fancam of Feel So Good. I might upload more fancams later!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

My bias in B.A.P has been Zelo ever since their debut. I was sad they didn’t perform debut songs like Warrior or Power, but B.A.P has so many amazing songs, so it makes sense they can’t perform everything. My favorite performance was definitely the Wake Me Up one! This concert was also the first time I heard Zelo’s solo song. It was really pretty! I also thought all their outfits were on point!

And of course, I need to do a rundown of my own outfit… It was my first time wearing this MARS set out! The last time I wore it was literally just in my dorm room at college.

Here’s a coord rundown of my outfit for the concert:

  • Headband: Forever 21
  • Necklace: Vintage
  • Earrings: Claire’s
  • Top & Skirt: MARS
  • Tights: Offbrand
  • Wedge Sneakers: Guess

 

If you were at the concert, please share your experience too! I’d love to hear about the B.A.P concerts in other cities too.

signature
Connect

❥❧ Facebook: Cosplay and Fashion

❥❧ Instagram: PearlPeony and AliceinLolitaland

❥❧ Tumblr: Personal and Fashion

❥❧ Twitter: TreizeMacarons

❥❧ Youtube: Alice in Lolitaland

❥❧ WorldCosplay: Xiao

❀ For sponsor inquiries, please contact me at: missxiaorawr@gmail.com ❀

The Kawaii Society: Soft Launch

backdrop_logo_sticker copy.png

Have you heard of The Kawaii Society? It’s an adorable organization recently founded in the United States! The Soft Launch took place at Radio Star Karaoke in New York City on Sunday, April 2. I was invited to the Soft Launch as a press blogger, and I’m excited to introduce you all to The Kawaii Society.

Here is The Kawaii Society’s mission statement from their Facebook page: “Kawaii Society is an organization that aims to share Japanese pop culture world wide. We are passionate visual artists, fashionistas, gamers, otaku, entrepreneurs, bloggers, musicians and so much more! Join us in discussion, collaboration, events, and celebration of all things kawaii!”

The Soft Launch was definitely full of amazing artists and designers, kawaii fashion, and more. Before I go over my experience at the Soft Launch, I want to share my interview with the founder of The Kawaii Society, Miss Candyholic.

CUPCAKE.png

1) How were you introduced to Kawaii culture?

“I was introduced to kawaii culture as a child thanks to my older cousin. She was like a big sister to me and loved anime and cosplay which inspired me to research more about Japanese pop culture. I soon fell in love with harajuku fashion and became an avid reader of Fruits and Gothic & Lolita Bible magazines.”

2) What inspired you to create The Kawaii Society?

“I have been deeply involved in the otaku and J-fashion community since middle school from every aspect- convention attendee, cosplayer, Lolita, maid cafe, J-pop performer, Twitch streamer, artist alley, etc. My goal is to bring all the experiences and connections I’ve made throughout the community together under one brand. I have made so many friends who are bloggers, musicians, fashion icons, and more, and that is something to be celebrated. We often have to rely on meetups to share our love for kawaii culture with others, but I want to create something much more than that where everyone’s talents are utilized.”

3) What’s your favorite fashion style and why?

“I don’t think I can pick one specific fashion style because my favorite fashion styles are those that don’t follow the rules. However, I will say that my favorite aesthetic is pastel and magical girl inspired. Anything baby pink and dream-like gives me life. I also love gothic styles but there is no inbetween – either all pastels or all black.”

unnamed.jpg

Magical Girl inspired wands by Miss Candyholic

4) How did you start your brand Candyholic?

“Entrepreneurship has been in my nature since high school. I used to make and sell animal hats, bonnets, and jewelry to kids at school and people online in the EGL community on Livejournal. Miss Candyholic was just a username I always had since I love sweets and sweet motifs, but I didn’t turn it into a serious business until after college when I had more time to create and market myself on social media. I was invited to sell at my first con, Chibi-Con, a couple years ago and then things just took off from there.”

5) Where do you find your inspiration for your designs?

“Magical girls are a huge inspiration for me. I like to think of myself as a designer for the modern day magical girl. I also like to ask myself questions like “If Cinderella went to college, what would she wear?” Other than fictional characters, I find a lot of inspiration from my kawaii friends and J-fashion groups thanks to social media.”

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Miss Candyholic’s designs are definitely fit for the modern-day magical girl! She also made the maid dresses for the adorable maids of the Candyholic Café. You can check out her Facebook page here.

Now, onto the Soft Launch! When I arrived to Radio Star Karaoke, there was already a line forming outside the venue. So many different alternative fashion styles were represented! I saw people in line wearing fairy kei, sweet lolita, gothic lolita, and other forms of street fashion.

There was a great turnout at the Soft Launch! There were a lot of people, but it wasn’t too crowded. It was still easy to find your way around, and seating was accessible too. There were a bunch of vendors at the event too, and I was impressed by all the cute items for sale. I bought a necklace, a bunch of rings, and secondhand boots (my very first pair of Demonia Shoes)! My favorite find were definitely those secondhand boots. They look so cool, and I’ve always wanted Demonia shoes. Besides shopping, food and drinks were for sale at the event too.

Check out these cool cocktails:

img_8471.jpg

I had the Pink Sugar Heart Attack drink, which is composed of vodka, peach, lime, and lychee. It was delicious!

Since The Kawaii Society Soft Launch took place at a karaoke bar, there was lots of karaoke-ing! It was really fun watching different people sing their favorite songs on the karaoke stage. For this stage, many people in the audience sung along too! “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey is definitely a karaoke staple.

Me and Bubbles (our table’s maid for the evening

One of my best memories of the Soft Launch is definitely the Candyholic Café! This was my first time at a maid café, and it did not disapppoint. All of the maids were adorable! I was so happy that Bubbles was assigned to our table. It was a long time since I’ve seen her, and she looked like she was having so much fun working at the café too!

The dessert came out first, but I didn’t mind at all! This pastel cheesecake was so sweet and yummy. Following dessert, I had crispy onion rings! While eating, me and my table-mates chatted about random things: from fashion to food to music to yaoi.

During the Candyholic Café, I really enjoyed the performances by KuroPOP! They even performed one of my favorite K-pop songs: “Excuse Me” by AOA. Another memorable performance by them was “Boombayah” by BLACKPINK.

maids_10.jpg

Candyholic Café, the Maid Café at the Soft Launch

If you were at The Kawaii Society Soft Launch, please share your experiences too! I hope everyone had tons of fun like I did. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay the entire time; I had to leave early to catch the subway back home (and of course, get ready for the work-week grind). Definitely check out The Kawaii Society if you are in the New York City area! April 30th will be their Unofficial Sakura Matsuri After Party. I am sad I won’t be able to make it to this party, but hopefully I’ll be able to attend other events in the future. If you go, take lots of photos! I’d love to see what the After Party is like.

To end my blog post, here’s a coordinate rundown of my outfit for the event:

  • Headbow and Skirt: Metamorphose
  • Small Bows: Offbrand
  • Blouse: Bodyline
  • Capelet: Offbrand
  • Wristcuffs: Classical Puppets
  • Tights: Offbrand
  • Boots: Bodyline
  • Purse: Offbrand
  • Rings: Offbrand

Note: Photos of Miss Candyholic’s designs and of the Candyholic Café are directly from Miss Candyholic and included in this blog post with her permission.

 

signature
Connect

❥❧ Facebook: Cosplay and Fashion

❥❧ Instagram: PearlPeony and AliceinLolitaland

❥❧ Tumblr: Personal and Fashion

❥❧ Twitter: TreizeMacarons

❥❧ Youtube: Alice in Lolitaland

❥❧ WorldCosplay: Xiao

❀ For sponsor inquiries, please contact me at: missxiaorawr@gmail.com ❀